31st Annual International Research Conference

For over 30 years, the Â鶹ԭ´´ Research Conference has been a place where researchers and practitioners come together to exchange ideas on important research findings, presented in open discussion with constructive critical debate and helpful dialogue. The conference fosters a climate where all are welcome to share learning and network with other delegates.

This year’s conference will showcase cutting edge research relevant to counselling, psychotherapy and coaching practice and policy development. The conference theme focuses primarily on impact through collaboration, with presentations exploring research through co-construction or collaboration with participants as people with lived experience. Additionally, the event will highlight inter-disciplinary research where researchers have worked alongside fields outside counselling, psychotherapy or coaching which might support the counselling professions in mental health interventions.

This year’s conference is co-hosted with the University of Manchester.

Event aims

The main aims of this conference are to:

• give researchers at all levels in counselling, psychotherapy and coaching opportunities to share research to influence practice and develop the field nationally and internationally
• provide practitioners with access to high-quality, up-to-date research relevant to practice
• contribute to contemporary debates and issues in counselling and psychotherapy and consider how research can support to these
• provide opportunities for networking with national and international colleagues to develop partnership working within training, services and in collaborative research groups

For further information on the Research conference and Research resources please visit our Research conference webpage.

Booking options

In-person bookings

Attend in person on Thursday 15, Friday 16 May and/or Saturday, 17 May 2025, to access all keynotes and workshops across six strands. Network with attendees, presenters, and Â鶹ԭ´´ staff. Lunch and refreshments included.

Additionally, for anyone booked to attend in-person, there’s a free-to-attend pre-conference collaborative discussion workshop taking place between 3pm and 5:30pm on Thursday 15 May 2025 at the University of Manchester, Ellen Wilkinson Building. This workshop will focus on good practice, opportunities, barriers and areas for support within the provision of research teaching in core counsellor training. It will be of interest to trainees, early career researchers, counselling/psychotherapy trainers and experienced researchers and academics. The workshop will be facilitated by members of the Â鶹ԭ´´ Research team working with colleagues from Aberdeen University and draws on a collaborative project recently undertaken by these partners and led by Professor John McLeod. Joining this workshop will give you an opportunity to influence Â鶹ԭ´´â€™s ongoing work in this area and to contribute to future developments. Snacks and light refreshments will be provided during the workshop.

Booking for Friday 16 May 2025 also includes the awards reception (6:40–7:30 pm) with a welcome drink to celebrate the award winners, followed by a two-course conference dinner (7:30–9:00 pm).

Conference attendance bursaries

The deadline to apply for conference attendance bursaries has now closed.

Online bookings

Online attendance is available on Saturday 17 May 2025 for those members interested in finding out more about research, featuring select presentations from Strand 1, including the keynote presentations. The online event also includes in-depth studio discussions with conference hosts and presenters, offering deeper insights, practical application of the learning to everyday practice and answering questions from the online audience.

Programme

Registration will begin at 9am with the event starting promptly at 9.30am on both Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May.

Keynote Speaker: Impact through collaboration in Trauma informed and social justice orientated research: Challenges and Opportunities in working with marginalised communities, presented by Professor Divine Charura.

This keynote aims to stimulate discussion and critique of the importance of shifting our focus on impact through critical reflexivity and engaging diverse research methodologies, many of which challenge assumptions about knowledge, truth and just power, and the rationality in ways that exclude some diverse communities, and their bodies of knowledge.

Keynote speaker: Stories of trauma, healing and harm in carceral settings: Reflections on research with women in prison, presented by Dr. Kate O'Brien.

View the Research conference 2025 programme.

Key information

What’s included

Your booking includes:

• up to 11 hours of CPD presentations including quality research presented by experts in their field
• a CPD certificate download
• selected presentation slides
• access to the on-demand service
• lunch and refreshments for in-person delegates
• networking with peers and colleagues

Key event information

The pre-conference workshop on Thursday 15 May 2025 will be at the University of Manchester, Ellen Wilkinson Building between 3pm and 5.30pm. You need to have booked onto one or both of the in-person conference days to be eligible to book the pre-conference workshop.

The conference on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May 2025 will be held in , 55 Booth Street West, Manchester M15 6PQ on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May 2025.

Joining instructions and the event link will be sent to the email linked to your Â鶹ԭ´´ account 48 hours before the event.

Accommodation options can be found on the

Â鶹ԭ´´ has no affiliation with or endorsement of the accommodation listings provided; these are offered solely as a guide of accommodation available in the vicinity of the conference venue.

On-demand

Access to the on-demand service, for three months after the event, is included in your booking. The service can be accessed an unlimited number of times, 24 hours a day.

The on-demand service will be available from Monday 26 May 2025 until Monday 25 August 2025.

The on-demand service will be human transcribed to ensure accuracy.

Event sponsors and exhibitors

Event Sponsorship opportunities

To find out about sponsoring this event and other opportunities.